horse plays up around loose horses/donkeys/mules whilst hacking

Question

"Hi there.

My horse, Chaparro, a 10 year old Andalucian gelding stabled in Spain. He
was gelded at 3 yo and I bought him when he was 5yo. He generally well
adjusted and confident hack who is nice natured and good to deal with but he
has gradually started over reacting to loose horses/donkeys/mules that we
come across whilst out riding and he especially reacts on the way back home.  
We ride a lot of bridal paths in the Sierra so passing livestock in fields is
commomplace. At best it's a fancy show off trot and at worst he prances and
bounces around and tries to head sideways towards the offending horse.

This started sporadically about 3 years ago when I moved him to a new area
and I am looking for a effective and gentle way to put this right. As a result of
this behavior I have become a bit nervous when I know there is a horse
coming up and find a bit difficult to disguise this and of course he know
this!!!!

He's never bolted, he doesn't spook much ( only what's I would consider to be
reasonable), he's good to box, shoe, catch and is very willing and accustomed
to long trail rides with all sorts of obstacles and is good alone or in company
(although he always goes best out front) - really this is his only obvious vice.

I get a lot of advice here like show him who's boss etc but generally feel he
just needs to be working more so am making sure that he gets school work
before we hack out which seems to take the edge off.  if I know that we are
going to see a horse or a donkey in a field along the path then I'll stop him
and move a little bit at a time so that he doesn't start prancing or edging
towards the other horse... if he behaves well then I make a fuss of him and if
he started to misbehave then I turn him in a circle if he refuses to stand still. I
also try not to show my nerves but not sure how successful I am! I ride a lot
alone and I also do long distances so want to feel safe - which I do 98% of the
time so long as we don't meet other horses/donkeys/mules.

I'd like to know if it's stallion behaviour, if he's just full of beans, whether he's
scared or stressed or just not getting enough work.        

Chaparro is much loved and but I know this is an issue I need to deal with so
would appreciate any help/advice you can offer.

Thanks  

Answer
Hi Jan!

Well, there are 2 ways to get a handle on this....the first would not my choice for your situation and can be somewhat "temporary" but, some like it as it is faster.

"Solution 1."  

Take him along his usual hack and correct it from the saddle.  With a very forceful attitude you drive him towards what he is afraid of, until he realizes it is not scary and he starts to not care so much.  Of course this is dangerous to an unskilled rider as he may react violently to what he is afraid of.  This is the "old school" cowboy way of doing it.

I recommend the second way of desensitizing him to his fears...goats, mules, horses, streams of water, tarps on the ground...anything.

"Solution 2."

Because Chaparro is not reacting really badly...no rearing, shying, bucking and spinning or such... I would say he is a pretty good natured fellow and can be taught to ignore what you wish him to ignore.  This should never be done from the saddle.  You will have to invest some time and effort into this because it cannot be rushed.  It must be done on his schedule and he will take as long as he wants. HE has to make the decision that these things do not frighten him.

Let me say here, that I feel his breed tends to mature a little slower than others and needs more time to understand the world around them, not a bad thing, just reality.

Start with a Google search of the "clicker method" of training.  It works just as well on horses as it does on dogs.  I don't know if they have clickers in pet stores in Spain, so you could use any device that makes a small noise to cue him.  This method is a combination of desensitization and positive re-enforcement.  You start with something small and work your way up to what frightens them.

Today, he touches his nose to a ball on the ground.  One week later he walks toward a tarp on the ground without any anxiety.  Two weeks after that, he is standing on the tarp eating treats out of your hand as if all is right in his world.

THEN...you start to introduce the goat/mule or whatever.  First, he sees and hears it from a safe distance.  That would be up to him...."safe" is where he wants to stop and look with no visible anxiety.  S-L-O-W-L-Y, you edge him closer to it and over weeks he will be standing next to a loose goat sharing treats out of a bucket with it.  This must be done on a consistent training schedule.  Daily, small, short productive training sessions are ideal.  He must just learn to "not care" what is around him because he is SAFE with you!  You are his Boss Mare and you are communicating to him "YOU ARE SAFE"  so there is no reason for him to be nervous....right?  Safe and eating treats....most ills can be cured by candy  :-)

The added benefit is that you are spending real quality time with him, further strengthening your bond of trust.  He must trust you to be a safe and stable mount beneath you when he becomes anxious.  So, in turn, you must be a strong and confident rider who can anticipate any issues and show him how to ride safely through, past or over the issue.  It is a partnership.

Be firm, be consistent and be patient.  If you get him to be confident and trusting of you, this will be 99% cured for 99% of the time.  Just remember, he will fall back to his old scaredy cat ways if you stress him before he is really ready.  That's why this must be on his schedule.

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange